PDCD1 and colorectal carcinoma: Notably, the multivariate analysis revealed that the combination of IL-38 and PD-1 expression (HR 0.587; 95% CI 0.351 – 0.984; p=0.043) and distant metastasis (HR 0.175; 95% CI 0.090 - 0.340; p<0.001) emerged as independent and reliable biomarkers for predicting survival rates among CRC patients (Table 3).